More from the Author

• Article | MIT Sloan Management Review | Summer 2018

  Why High-Tech Commoditization Is Accelerating

  Willy C. Shih

  Knowledge embedded within state-of-the-art production and design tools is a powerful force that is leveling the global technology playing field. It democratizes innovation and makes future competitoon more challenging. This paper describes the knowledge flows through production and design tools, and it suggests that the increasing level of abstraction is enabling new players to innovate without understanding how the technology building blocks they are using actually work inside. This suggests that there are new rules of competition, where firms should move beyond commoditized parts and focus their differentiation strategies.

  Keywords: Product design; product commercialization; product development; product development strategy; production; manufacturing tools; manufacturing; manufacturing industry; Engineering; Globalization; Goods and Commodities; Knowledge; Commercialization; Business Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Hardware; Technology Adoption; Consumer Products Industry; Auto Industry; Semiconductor Industry; Electronics Industry; Industrial Products Industry; Information Technology Industry; North America; Asia;

  Citation:

  Shih, Willy C. "Why High-Tech Commoditization Is Accelerating." Art. 59420. MIT Sloan Management Review 59, no. 4 (Summer 2018): 53–58.  View Details

  CiteView Details Register to Read

  Related

• Supplement | HBS Case Collection | May 2018

  Video Supplement to Toyota Motor Manufacturing, U.S.A. case (693-019): An updated video of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, Georgetown, KY site showing seat installation

  Willy C. Shih

  This is an updated video of the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky (TMMK) assembly facility in Georgetown, KY. It is meant to be paired with the 693-019 Toyota Motor Manufacturing U.S.A. case, but with higher quality video. The vidoe shows a line tour of Assembly Two at Georgetown, with a focus on just-in-time delivery and installation of seats. It also shows parts of engine and body assembly (door line), kitting with Toyota's Set Pallet System" (SPS) and flow racks, the andon cord and notification system with labeling of key steps.

  Keywords: manufacturing; Manufacturing strategy; lean management; Toyota production system; just-in-time; lean production; automotive industry; Automobile Manufacturing; automotive; automotive supply chain; Production; Operations; Logistics; Auto Industry; United States;

  Citation:

  Shih, Willy C. "Video Supplement to Toyota Motor Manufacturing, U.S.A. case (693-019): An updated video of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, Georgetown, KY site showing seat installation." Harvard Business School Multimedia/Video Supplement 618-713, May 2018.  View Details

  CiteView DetailsPurchase

  Related

• Case | HBS Case Collection | September 2016 (Revised May 2018)

  United Airlines: More Out-and-Back Flying?

  Ryan W. Buell, Willy Shih and Mike Toffel

  This case looks at United Airlines when it is facing a decision on whether to shift its aircraft routing to more "out-and-back" routing in order to try to improve its on-time performance. As one of the world's largest airlines, United had a very large fleet and hub-and-spoke network that provided passengers with a wide range of destination choices, but as with any complex system unless everything ran perfectly all the time, it inevitably faced cascading delays and missed passenger connection problems. While out-and-back routing tended to isolate operational issues, more traditional linear routings tended to offer high equipment utilization. The case offers students an opportunity to examine the effects of variability on different routing strategies.

  Keywords: service excellence; service delivery; service management; service quality; service quality competition; services; service operations; airline industry; airlines; operational complexity; operational disruptions; operational effectiveness; operations; operations improvement; operations management; operations strategy; Air Transportation; Operations; Service Operations; Service Delivery; Performance Effectiveness; Performance Improvement; Complexity; Air Transportation Industry; United States;

  Citation:

  Buell, Ryan W., Willy Shih, and Mike Toffel. "United Airlines: More Out-and-Back Flying?" Harvard Business School Case 617-010, September 2016. (Revised May 2018.)  View Details

  CiteView DetailsEducatorsPurchase

  Related